RIVERSIDE, Calif. – UC Riverside cross country has earned All-Academic distinction from the USTFCCCA, it was announced on Thursday. 

"I always tell the student-athletes that athletics is really the third priority for me behind being good citizens and taking care of business in the classroom," assistant coach Zach Newsom said. "It's really gratifying when they buy into that and are rewarded for their efforts with academic all-American honors. We expect them to be high achievers and this is a perfect example of that."

In what has become a routine practice for the Highlanders' program, UCR earned All-Academic distinction from the national organization for the seventh year in the last 10 on both sides while sporting a 3.287 cumulative GPA on the men's side and a 3.268 on the women's side. 

UCR was one of 216 Division I programs on the men's side and 249 on the women's side to earn the honor for their efforts during the 2022 season. In order to qualify for All-Academic distinction, teams must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, including the most recent grading period.